Connecting box



Jan, 27; 1925. Y o. H. FRANK CONNECTING Box Filed Aug; 16 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 w 5 m m 6 0 1 2 2 7 M Z1 n .2 7. v ,N/J

w i Z 7 n MATTORNEy.

Jan; 27,1925.

0. H. F'RANK CONNECTI NG BOX Filed Au 16, 1925 2 sheets-Sheet 2 V. mm m y. M m M 0w Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

o'r'ro n. FRANK, or BROOKLYN, NEwYoax.

CONNECTING BOX.

Application flled August 16, 1923. Serial No. 657,765.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .I, O'r'ro H. FRANK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connecting Boxes, of which 'the following is a full, clear, and concise description.

M invention relates to electrical connecting oxes of a type suitable for use in the household, store, oflice and factory, for the purpose of connecting incandescent lamps, or electric fans, electric soldering devices or the like to be arranged in groups, so that the group as a unit can be readily detached from its connections, and so that any one or more of the lamps, fans or the like can be readily connected or disconnected independently of the others.

More particularly stated, I seek to produce a connecting box containingsevera] pairs of conductors and so arranged that the box as a whole may be connected with a source of electric current in substantially the same manner as a plug connection is made, the connecting box being provided with a number of separate sockets each adapted to carry an incandescent lampor a plug for controllin such a lamp, each socket being revoluble y hand for the purpose of controlling .its electrical connections.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout all of the figures.

Figure 1 is a substantially central section through a connecting box made is accordance with my. invention. j

Figure 2 is an elevation of the'same.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a perspective of one of the sockets.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-43. of Figure 5, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and showing the means 'for securing the socket in one of its two normal positions.

A base 7 is made of insulatin material, and has the general form in icated in Figure 2.

Mounted upon the base 7 is a casin 8, of substantially bell-shape. The base is provided with a groove 9, into which is detachably fitted the adjacent edge of the casing, as may be understood from Figures 1 and 2t Bolts 10, each of the form indicated in Flgure 4, extend through the casing 8 and engage the base 7, so as to hold the casing and base in proper relative position, as may be understood from Figures 3 and 4.

The base 7 is provided with a boss 11, made of insulating material, and integral with it, as indicated in Figures3 and 4.

The base 7 is further provided with a number of foot ledges 12, made of insulating material and integral with the base 7 and boss 11, as shown in Figure 3.

Each foot ledge is provided with a slightly protruding portion 13 of annular form and constituting a bead, as may be understood from Figure 4. A contact ring 14rests upon all of the foot ledges 12, and encircles the boss 11. The contact ring 14 is held securely in position by aid of the beads 13 which extend through holes in it, as indicated in Figure 4.

Engaging the contact ring 14 is a spacin 1 ring 15, made 'of insulating material, and engaging the spacingring 15 is another contact ring 16, made of metal.

The spacing ring 15 is thus sandwiched in between the contact rings 14 and 16, and the parts'thus arranged are secured firmly in position by bolts 17, in this instance fourin number.

Each bolt 17 extends through a hole in the contact ring .16, a hole in the s acing'ring 15 of insulating material and t rough the annular bead 13, which occupies a hole in the contact ring 14, as indicated in Figure 4. Each bolt 17 engages directly the adjaoent foot ledge 12, and is threaded for iiqhat purpose, as may be understood from i re 4.

number of projecting contact portions 18, each having the form of a lip, and the contact ring 16 is similarly provided with a number of extending contact portions 19, each having the form of a lip. Each lip l9 is disposed adjacent a lip 18, the lips being thus arranged in pairs, as indicated more particularly in Figure 3.

The boss 11 carries a pair of metallic contact tongues 20 and 21. The contact he contact ring 14 is provided with a tongue 20 is provided with a foot 22 integralwith it, and to which is secured the contact ring 14 as may be understood in Figure 1, by means of a rivet 23. The

contact 21 is similarly provided with a foot 24, integral with it, and secured by means a of a rivet 25 to the contact ring 16.

the lips 19. Y

The tongues 20 and 21 extend throng}; holes in the casin 8, and are adapted to thrust into a wa box-or into a socket or appropriate form, not shown, in order to supply current through the tongues 20 and 21 to the contact rings 14 and 16 above described.

g The casing 8" is provided-with a pair of eyes 28, integral with it. These eyes are for t e' pur ose of serving as anchorages, to be engage by hooks and other appropriate fastenings in orderto assist the tongues 20 and 21hold the casing in position.

The base 7 carries a number of sockets 29,

each-having the form shown in Figure 5.

Each socket 29 is made of insulating material, such ashard rubber, fiber or porcelain,.and has the form of a cup, as indicated more particularly in Figures 1 and 2.

7 Each socket 29 is provided with a neck por- 'base7.

tion 30, .and this neck portion extends neatly but loosel throu h an opening 31 in the v ach soc et 29 .carries a metallic sleeve 32, fashioned like a cup, as indicated and are: energized in Figure 1, and having a threaded formation. Fitted into the metallic sleeve 32 is a washer 33 of insulating material. A bolt 34 extends through the washer 33 through a hole 35in the socket, and through a contact spring 37. Other bolts 38 extend through a contactspring39. Thus the sleeve 32 is b' meansof the bolt 38 in metallic commun1cation with the contact 'sprin 39; and the bolt 34, though in contact with the contact s ring 37,is insulated from the sleeve 32.

ence the bolt 34 and the sleeve 32 are res ctively adapted for use as the inner and outer contact-members of -the socket, tively by means of the contact springs'3 and 39. y

Each socket 29 is adapted to be grasped by hand,-and rocked back and forth to a limited extent. For this purpose the neck 30 sim ly turns within the o ning 31. As

the soc et is thus rocked it 0 course carries -with it the contact springs 37 and 39, so

that these contact springs are brou ht into or out of engagement with the ips 18 and 19.

Each socket 29 is provided with a protuberance 40 having a c lindrical p 41 and extending throng this passage is a bolt 42 provided with a head 43. The bolt 42 is further (provided with an extending portion 44, an with a retractile spring 47.

' The base 7 is provided with holes 45 and 46, so placed that the rocking of the socket 29 may bring the bolt 44 into and out of registry with these holes. The base 7 is further provided with legends On and OH,

disposed adjacent the holes 45' and 46, as

ma be understood from Figure 2.

ach socket has two normal positions, indicated by the le nds On and OK just mentioned. When t e socket is in the-position indicated by the le nd Off, the extending portion 44 of-the It 42 occu ies the ho e 46; but when the socket is roc ed into the sition indicated at On the extending portion of the bolt occupies the hole 45.

When the socket occupies the position indicated by the legend 05, the contact members 37 and 39 are out of engagement with the adjacent contact lips 18 and 19; and when the socket is in the position indicated by the legend On, the contact members 37 and 39 are in engagement with the lips 18 and 19.

The sockets 29 ma be used in a variety of difi'erent ways. I an incandescent lamp.

is used in each socket, these lamps will be 1 thus arranged in a group. The operator by rocking one or more of the sockets as above described, may light one or more of the 1am s; so that one, two, three or four of the amps may be brought into active use. 106

In the same manner, b rocking the sockets in o posite direction the lamps can besuccessively thrown out of active use.

If it be desired to use my device as a branch connector, one or more plugs for this 110 pur se are inserted into an equal number of t e sockets 29.

The connector as a unit may be disconnected by simpl{k withdrawing the to as 20 and 21 from t e connection whereby are supplied with the electric current.

- I do not limit myself to the particular mechanism shown, as variations may be made therein without departing from my invention, the scope of which is commensnrats with my claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprisin a base made of insulating material an posed boss, said base being further provided with a plurality of foot ledges extending radially outward from said boss, a contact ring engaging said foot ledges and encircling'said boss, a spacing ring of insulat- 180 provided with a centrally dising material engaging said contact ring, a second contact ring mounted upon said spacing ring of insulating material, electrical connections for supplying current to said contact rings, a lurahty of revoluble sockets carried by said base and revoluble relatively to the same, and contact members mounted upon said socket and revoluble therewithfor the purpose of engaging and disengaging said contact rings.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a base provided with openings, a plurality of revoluble sockets provided with neck portions extending into said openings and revoluble therein independently of each other, said sockets being thus journaled upon said base, contact members carried by each of said sockets, and other contact members mounted upon said base and insulated from each other, said last mentioned contact members bein located partially within the path of trave of said first mentioned contact members when said sockets are turned.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a base provided with openings, a number of separate sockets provided respectively with neck portions extending into said openings, so that said sockets are thus j ournaled separately upon said base and revoluble by hand independently of each other, and contact mechanism mounted upon said base and connected with each of said sockets,

said contact mechanism being controllable by movement of said sockets relatively to said base. a

4. A device of the character described, comprising a base made of insulating material and provided with openings, a plurality of revoluble sockets equal to the number of said openings, each socket having a neck portion extending into some one of said openings, a, boss mounted upon said base and extending therefrom, a plurality of contact rings encircling said boss and in sulated from each other, each of said contact rings being provided with contact lips, and a pair of contact members mounted upon each of said sockets and revoluble therewith for the purpose of bringing said contact members into and out of engagement with a pair of said contact lips.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a base, aplurality of sockets mounted separately upon said base and free to rock relatively thereto independently of each other, each of said sockets having two definite normal positions of rest, means controllable by the operator at will for locking the socket in either of said two positions, and. contact mechanism mounted upon said base and connected with each of said sockets, said contact mechanism being controllable by each socket independently of the other for the purpose ofopening and closing an electric circuit.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a base, a boss made of insulating material and extending from said base, a pair of contact members boss and extending therefrom, a pair of contact rings disposed adjacent said boss and insulated from each other, said contact rings being connected with said contact members, a socket revolubly mounted upon said base, and contact mechanism carried by said socket and therewith movable relatively to said base, for the purpose of engaging and disengaging said contact rings.

igned at New 'Yor in the county of New York and State of New York, this Hth day of August, 1923.

OTTO H. FRANK.

mounted upon said 

